8o 



The Living Animals of the World 



Fholo i/y A, S. Kvdlaad J.- Sons. 



MEEEKAT. 



A small, mainly iusectivuroiis animal, found in South Africa ; als( 



called the 8uricato 



The question of the comparative intelli- 

 gence of the Apes and Monkeys, and the 

 carnivorous animals subsequently described in 

 these pages, is an interesting one. It would 

 seem at first as if the Cat Tribe and their 

 relations, which have to obtain their prey by 

 constant hunting, and often to make use of 

 considerable reflection and thought to bring 

 their enterprises against other animals to a 

 successful issue, would be more likely to develop 

 intelligence and to improve in brain-j^ower than 

 the great Apes, which find an easy living in 

 the tropical forests, and only seek fruits and 

 vegetables for their food. Yet it is quite 

 certain that this is not the case. The Cat 

 Tribe, with the exception of the domesticated 

 cats, does not show high intelligence. Even 

 the latter are seldom trained to obey man, 

 though they learn to accommodate themselves 

 to his ways of life. There is no evidence that 

 cats have any sense of numljer, or that any 

 of them in a wild state make any effort to 

 provide shelter for themselves or construct a 

 refuge from their enemies, though the Leopard 

 will make use of a cave as a lair. In matters 

 requiring intelligence and co-operation, such 

 rodents as the IJeaver, or even the Squirrel, 

 are far beyond the feline carnivora in sagacity 

 and acquired or inherited ingenuity. Except 

 the Stoat, which sometimes hunts in packs, 

 no species of the carnivora yet dealt with in 

 this work combines to hunt its prey, or for 

 defence against enemies. Each for itself is 

 the rule, and even among the less-si^ecialised 

 flesh-eating animals of the other groups it is 

 only the Dog Trilie which seems to understand 

 the principles of association for a common 

 object. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE HY.'ENAS AND AARD-WOLF. 



IF every animal has its place in nature, we must suppose that the hytena's business is to 

 clear u[) the bones and such parts of the animal dead as the vultures and other 

 natural " undertakers " cannot devour. Hysenas have very strong jaws, capable of crushing 

 almost any bone. In prehistoric times they were common in England, and lived in the caves 

 of Derbyshire and Devon. In these caves many bones were found quite smashed up, as if by 

 some very large wild animal. It was sup)posed that this was done by bears — Dean Buckland 

 said " by hyasnas." He procured a hyaena, kept it at his house, and fed it on bones. The 

 smashed fragments he laid on the table at a scientific lecture beside the fragments from the 

 caverns. The resemblance was identical, and the Dean triumphed. 



